SWIMMING

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 108, 31 January 1935, Page 14

SWIMMING

National Championships DRAW FOR THREE DAYS Miss Leydon’s Splendid Performance

(By

Trudge.)

The programme for the New Zealand national championships, to be held at Auckland on February 16, 18 and 20, has been finalised, and the draw for each day is as follows: — Saturday, February 16—100yds. men’s, 220yds. women’s, 220yds. men's breaststroke, one mile men’s, men’s diving, women’s diving, water polo, 66 2-3yds. men’s inter-club handicap, 66 2-3yds. women’s inter-club handicap, and 66 2-3 yds. junior boys’ handicap (17 years and under). Monday, February IS—22oyds. men s, 440yds. women’s, 100yds. women’s backstroke, 880yds. men’s, 150yds. men’s backstroke, women’s diving final, water polo, 100yds. men’s inter-club handicap, 66 2-3yds. girls’ handicap (17 years and under), and 220yds. business house relay championship. Tuesday, February 19 —Annette Kellerman Cup harbour race, to be swum in the Auckland harbour. Wednesday, February 20—440yds. men’s, lOOyd.s. women’s, 220yds. women's breaststroke.” men's diving final, water polo final, 50yds. invitation scratch race, 500yds. flying. squadron inter-centre relay of teams of five swimmers, 50yds. women’s invitation scratch race, and 6b 2-3yds. men's inter-club handicap. Unless otherwise stated all events are for free style swimmers. Entries for all events close next Wednesday. Wellington’s Chance.

With everything practically arranged for a short tour of the Dominion by the Frenchmen, Jean Taris and Emile' I’oussard, and the Chinese champion, Kwok Chun Hang, Wellington should lose no time in apnlying for a suitable date. Saturday afternoon would pay the centre admirably, so with the arrival of the visitors at Auckland on March 4, a Tuesday, Wellington should stick for the only Saturday of the tour, March 9, for the party sail from here on Thursday, March 14. With a fair measure of luck with the weather, Wellington should hold a reasonably good chance of success with a carnival headed by such world-renowned swimmers.

Life Saving Clubs. The second big surf day of the season for surf and life-saving clubs in and around Wellington will be held at the Paekakariki Beach on Sunday next. The competitions to be decided are the Sanderson Memorial Cup. Kennedy March Past Cup, and Law Hose Bowl. Given fine weather and a good running surf, these competitions should prove one of the outstanding attractions to Paekakariki. Members of city clubs will travel by the early Sunday morning train, and return in the evening. The first event is timed to start at 11 a.m. Now Title Holders.

The intermediate and junior New Zealand championship holders for the present season, decided last week, are:--Intermediate (boys);—S. W. Jarvis (Otago), 190, 220 and 440yds. free style; D. Webster (Auckland), 100yds breaststroke; C. Eckhold (Otago), diving. Girls —'Miss D. Symon (Southland. 1 220yds. free style; Miss E. Rainey (Auckland), 100yds. free style; Miss R. Low (Canterbury), 75yds. breastroke. Junior (ibovs). —C. IV. McGregor (Otago), 100 and 220yds. free style; G. Chambers (Otago), 75yds. breaststroke. Girls—Miss G. Priestley (Auckland) 50yds. -breaststroke; Miss J. Melitose (Auckland), 100 and 50yds. free style, Otago won the New Zealand Swimming Centre’s War Memorial Shield, the points being : Otago, 7; Auckland. 5; Southland. 1; Canterbury, 1; Wellington, 0.

A Misconception. Advice has been received from the N.Z.A.S.A. that some centres are under a misconception in respect of-the dives for this year’s New Zealand championship. After last year’s contest a set of dives was suggested by the diving judges, but owing to an oversight this list was not -placed before the council, and therefore has not been acted upon. The dives at next month’s championship meeting ait Auckland will be the same as those of last year—namely:— Men’s: Plain header, forward running, backward header, and isander (halfgainer), straight, running (all from high board), backward spring, forward dive, straight, and half screw, forward, running (both low board). ■Women’s dives are: Plain header, forward. running, and isander (half-gainer l running, straight (both high board), and backward, spring, forward dive, straight (low board). O’Neill Impresses.

D. O’Neill, Wellington’s only representative among the boys at the junior and intermediate Dominion championships held at Timaru last week, performed very well in the 440yds. intermediate, in which he gained third place, and reached the final of the 220yds. and also of the 100yds. O’Neill impressed southern critics as a lad with plenty of determination and quite capable of making a good distance swimmer. During the short time he has been in Wellington O'Neill has made rapid progress and for his first efforts at a Dominion title bis performances have pleased the local selectors. Once he polishes up the finishing touches to his stroke he will prove a great asset to Wellington swimming. Prior to coming to ’Wellington O’Neill resided in the Hawke’s Bay district.

Miss Leydon’s Remarkable Feat. In lowering the 880yds. record of 13.54 3-5 by 1.31 3-5 Miss Mona Leydon, of Auckland. performed a remarkable achievement; in fact, one of the . most meritorious made by a woman in the Dominion, and many thought last week she would succeed in breaking the Australian record also. This she failed to do, however, for it is 12.9 4-5 and was established at Sydney 12 months ago by Miss Edna Davey, when she had a close race with the British champion. Miss Joyce Cooper. Miss Leydon was unpaced in her ef-

fort, and it is the opinion of many good judges that had this wonderful woman swimmer of New Zealand been given a hard race she would have gone close to if not have broken Miss Davey’s record. It is remarkable the progress Miss Leydon has made in the past three seasons, and with the national senior championships less than three weeks off one can be prepared to see this outstanding swimmer perform some remarkable feats during the championships. She is proving herself to be the Dominion’s best free style distance swimmer at the present time. Promising Woman Diver.

The highly creditable display by Miss D. Walmsley in winning the women’s diving championship of Auckland encourages the belief that the northern city can hold a good claim to the women’s national title at present held by Miss Peggy Price, of Wellington. Miss Walmsley performed the plain dives boldly and cleanly, with an attractive flight, but she will profit from further experience with the much more difficult fancy dives.

Below Usual Standard. The performance of the present holder of the New Zealand women’s diving championship, Miss Peggy Price, of Wellington, at the Petone club's carnival last week was not quite up to anticipated standard, and Miss Price will require to do much better if it is her intention to retain the Dominion title for Wellington, l ast week was Miss Price’s second appearance in public this season, and in comparison with the first the lookedfor improvement failed to materialise.

Next Saturday’s Carnival. One of the most attractive carnivals ro be staged this season has been arranged

for next Saturday at Te Aro Baths, commencing at 2.30. This will be the 'Wellington centre’s carnival postponed from last Saturday week. Given fine weather there should be a record attendance of the public. The championship events alone are sure to be productive of some spirited competition. The men’s 50yds. has drawn such crack sprinters together as J. G. Blakeley, Lyall Bay club. D Plank. Maranui club, A. Somervell, Hutt club, Williams brothers, Lyall Bay club, Gellatc, de Costa, C. Claridge, and G. Balfour. Blakeley is swimming so well at present that his chance of again winning is bright. Some of the above swimmers will also be seen out in the 440yds. Blakeley should also win. but in K. Thwaites he may find a serious opponent. It should prove an interesting race, with Plank, Pennington, and probably Williams making the pace.

The women’s 100yds. championship has drawn a much larger field than last season, and the form shown by some of the women swimmers is so forward that the race should provide a keen contest. The present holder of the championship is Miss Joan Wright. Wellington ladies’ club, who, it is understood, will not be defending the title. The men’s diving championship is also set down for decision, and the water polo championship match between those old rivals, Lyall Bay A and Maranui A is expected to be a fast and thrilling encounter.

There aro several inter-elub handicap events on the programme.